Friends,
In 2019, the Shift WA team uncovered documents that raised serious questions about the past of the charity known as Jewels
Helping Hands. The charity was awarded the operation of a homeless shelter in Spokane over longtime shelter operators, The Guardians and the Salvation
Army.
According
to the incorporation papers filed with the Washington Secretary of State's Office, Jewels Helping Hands had formed just a few months prior to taking
charge of the shelter. A man named Jason Green was listed as the registered agent.
Our research exposed that Green had a criminal past that the City of
Spokane overlooked during the selection process. Green was convicted by Federal agents in an embezzlement scheme, involving the theft of nearly
$500,000 from U.S. Foodservice. As a result, Green was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison and pay restitution of $496,845.
The scheme involved filing fake
expenditures for work that was never done, with Green and his friend, Jimmie Dillingham, conspiring to commit fraud. Green manipulated accounting
records by changing computer codes to conceal the fraud. They even created a fake security company and submitted phony bills for work supposedly done
at a Clark County warehouse.
By leveraging his access to US Foodservice accounts, Green canceled the contract with a legitimate company and redirected the
business to Dillingham's company. The ill-gotten gains were later shared between the two, and substantial amounts were squandered at local
casinos.
The
information raised significant concerns about the integrity and suitability of Jewels Helping Hands as the chosen operators of Spokane's homeless
shelter.
The
story became more troubling when our investigation revealed several Facebook posts that suggested a current relationship between Spokane City
Councilmembers Breen Beggs and Ben Stuckart and the charity's owners.
Shift WA’s story on this scandal is just another example of our work exposing corruption
in public sectors across our state. And we need your help to expand our reach.
Thank you for your continued support of our mission to uncover the truth.
The Shift WA team
